Wednesday, 26 February 2014

So, the short answer to your question is that anything you put in your ear will increase the bacteria levels present, simply by sheer dint of the introduction of a foreign object to your ear. You can consider this to also be true for cotton buds, earplugs and, of course, your index finger. Microorganisms tend to reproduce well in hot and humid environments and the ear, like the mouth and nose, certainly have all the right conditions for a germ-orgy of sorts (sorry for the image).

It has been said that using headphones increases the bacteria levels in your ears over 700 times.

To whatever degree this somewhat alarming statistic is true or false is, quite frankly, virtually impossible to determine. Put simply, there are just too many variables in the equation. Issues arise like ‘how many other people have used the headphones (are they shared devices like audio museum tours)?’ ‘How much bacteria is in the average person’s ear in the first place?’ or even ‘where are the headphones stored when not in use?’

All of these questions (and many, many more) would need satisfactory answers before we could start picking our way toward a definitive answer. According to our old friend Cecil Adams of www.straightdope.com, the ‘700 times’ factoid has its origins in a 1992 study in which experts measured bacteria found on 20 headsets of the type used by commercial airlines. According to Adams, the amount of microorganisms present on the ‘phones increased by 11 times, not 700 (as is often reported). A year later, the New York Times ran an article that is, according to Adams, the root of the old ‘700 times’ bit.

However, it should also be said that many different kinds of bacteria are vital to living organisms like us and, at any given time, there is an almost indescribably huge level of bacteria operating in your body. Yes, there is an increase in your in-ear bacteria if you use headphones, but it’s really not much different from the bacteria levels you encounter in your day-to-day life.

You may worry that this increase in bacteria can be damaging to your health (that is, after all, a reasonable concern). However, unless you suffer from regular ear infections, or any other easily aggravated ear-related ailments, the answer is a pretty definitive ‘no’.

Maybe if you dangle your headphones in the toilet before use, or get a flu-riddled relative to cough on them, you may have some trouble, but otherwise, the content of your ear is likely to be far more bacteria-friendly than the contents of your pockets (where the headphones are usually kept before use – if I’m any guide, that is).

Saturday, 22 February 2014

A new report has concluded that a sizeable proportion of modern technology (in particular smartphones, tablets and other commonly-used gadgets) is extremely over reliant on very rare materials.

If the report’s findings are accurate, the scarcity of the metals and metalloids in question, combined with a sharply increasing demand for such devices, could seriously damage design innovation, as well as the manufacture of future products.

The report, compiled by researchers at Yale University, discussed the use of 62 materials found in widely used technology. Ultimately, the study concluded that none of the 62 metals or metalloids could be replaced without damaging the efficiency of the product. In fact, 12 of the 62 materials could not be replaced at all.

The potential substitute materials simply aren’t up to the job or, perhaps more worryingly, don’t actually exist. In either instance, these material shortages could lead to an economic and technological downturn in the development of mobile technology.

All of the rare components listed are difficult and expensive to obtain.

This scarcity of product availability would limit potential profits, as well as creating something of a ‘glass ceiling’ for innovation and product improvement.

This new report marks the first time that this worrying issue has been properly researched.

In the eyes of many, this study should be seen as a warning and a wake up call. In 2010, China restricted the trading of some of the components featured in the study. It was an act that increased market prices fivefold.

As these materials become increasingly rare, tactics like this may become ever more frequent, causing increased political tension around the world.

It also needs to be stated that the mass manufacture of these devices drains the planet of natural resources and the processing of these materials seriously harms our environment.

The report itself warns that,

“As wealth and population increase worldwide in the next few decades, scientists will be increasingly challenged to maintain and improve product utility by designing new and better materials, but doing so under potential constraints in resource availability.”

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Yahoo!’s policy of recycling inactive email accounts has backfired on them, as new account owners are receiving personal emails that aren’t meant for them.

The policy, active since June, means that Yahoo IDs and addresses are reassigned to a new user if left inactive for a year or more. But obviously both Yahoo! and some of its users got more than they bargained for.

The emails have been reported to contain highly sensitive information. As a result, privacy experts have been called in, in order to solve the problem quickly and without further incident.

According to a Yahoo! Spokesperson, “Before recycling inactive accounts we attempted to reach the account owners [in] multiple ways to notify them that they needed to log in to their account or it would be subject to recycling,” The spokesperson went on to say that, “We took many precautions to ensure this was done safely – including deleting any private data from the previous account owner, sending bounce-backs to the senders for at least 30-60 days letting them know the account no longer existed and unsubscribing the accounts from commercial mail.”

Interviewed by BBC News, Tom Jenkins, an IT security professional and recipient of such an account, revealed just how damaging this malfunction could potentially be, “I can gain access to their Pandora account, but I won’t. I can gain access to their Facebook account, but I won’t. I know their name, address and phone number. I know where their child goes to school. I know the last four digits of their social security number. I know they had an eye doctor’s appointment last week and I was just invited to their friend’s wedding.”

! has responded swiftly to this scandal, critics who have slated the initiative from the beginning are now finding themselves vindicated. Mike Rispoli of Privacy International said, “These problems were flagged by security and privacy experts a few months ago when Yahoo announced their intention to recycle old emails, and cautioned that Yahoo’s plan created significant security and privacy risks. Yahoo downplayed these risks, and ignored critics, but now we see these concerns were legitimate,”

Mr. Rispoli went on to say that, “This email recycling scheme, an effort to re-engage old users and attract new ones, is resulting in some of our most intimate data being accessed by someone we don’t know and without our knowledge (…) We’re talking about account passwords, contacts for friends and families, medical records – this issue needs to be addressed immediately by Yahoo if they care about the privacy of their users and want them to trust the company with sensitive information.”

Our experts say that the best way to avoid this fate is actually to cancel any email account that is not currently in at least semi-regular use, having first deleted all content from the account.

Friday, 14 February 2014

Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment have released a trailer for their upcoming animated feature ‘Son of Batman’. The film will be an adaptation of the 2006 story ‘Batman & Son’, which was written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Andy Kubert.

The comic story deals with the introduction of Bruce Wayne’s son, Damian Wayne, who also happens to be the grandchild of Batman’s nemesis Ra’s Al Ghul. The original story was published in Batman issues 655-658 and proved to be somewhat polarizing amongst the DC Comics fanbase.

The trailer hints that this film will be slightly different from the original story, with a greater emphasis seemingly placed on Damian’s membership within the League of Assassins, the worldwide organisation headed up by his grandfather.

The trailer also suggests that Deathstroke, known to younger fans from the popular ‘Teen Titans’ TV series, will be the main antagonist in the film version, instead of Talia, who was the principle enemy of the comic book story.

It also seems unlikely that this film will take up its potentially broader role as the opening chapter in Grant Morrison’s epic, 7-year Batman story arc; a story which ended with Damian’s controversial death in 2013. For now, it seems that this film will be a one-off.

DC Entertainment’s animated features have proven to be very popular with fans. Film adaptations of well-loved Batman stories such as ‘Batman: Year One’, ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ and ‘Under the Red Hood’ are all big sellers for download or on DVD/Blu Ray.

Jason O’Mara will voice Batman in the new film, whilst Morena Baccarin will voice Damian’s mother, Talia. Completing the casting are Carlo Esposito as Ra’s Al Ghul and Stuart Allen, who is voicing the titular character.

Bat-fans can expect to download or buy ‘Son of Batman’ late in the spring.

There are some moments when the world seems to turn inwards upon itself and nothing makes sense anymore.

In these moments, when man’s inhumanity to his own brothers and sisters would defy belief, were the chilling evidence not plain as day on your television screen, we are afraid. Anybody who says otherwise is either lying or mad.

In truth, these terrible moments seem to be increasing in number, with a multitude of terrorist attacks, a surge in civil unrest (caused, in large part, by the callousness of a government unconcerned with the lives of everyday people) and increased violence/gang activity on our city streets.

Public safety is a hugely important vocation, more so than ever in these uncertain times. Emergency services, such as the Fire Brigade, The Paramedics and The Police Service have to be able to respond to a major crisis within a moment’s notice.

In times of real disaster, such as a violent riot or terrorist attack, these services need to co-ordinate their efforts. Medical teams need to reach the injured, police need to arrest those responsible for starting the violence and the Fire Brigade must be responsible for tending to situations that don’t always involve fire (rescuing trapped civilians etc).

How can the emergency services keep in touch quickly, clearly and efficiently? They use two way radios, of course.

Two way radios are a proven technology. They are reliable, easy to use and cost-effective. Plus, they have strong outer bodywork that is well suited to dangerous operating environments.

It’s easy to train staff to use a two-way radio system and the devices rarely suffer from loss of signal like a mobile phone would. By pressing one button, users can easily interface with each other, share vital information over large distances (in real time) and, in the process, save innocent lives.

In a very real sense, two-way radios are a factor in your ability to sleep at night and feel safe and protected. As important as they are in other areas of British industry, they are even more important to public safety.

So, when you go to sleep tonight, spare a thought for the emergency services who bravely keep you safe, from fire, from violence and from serious injury/illness. Public safety is a vital part of our lives and these people are committing their professional lives to it, every single day.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

When you see American secret service agents on Television or in films, maybe you observed that they’re consistantly touching their ears? Well, at least one of our readers did and asked me to learn why.

By the ‘Matrix’ movies, Agent Smith and co touched their ears in order to better mimic the behaviour of genuine FBI agents. Therefore it’s visibly a defining trait of secret service agents, at least in United states. It is clearly something they have been doing for quite a while now. Then again, the ‘Agents’ also did it to better receive signals on the technology who ran the Matrix program itself…

In the real world (assuming, naturally, that this IS the real world hmmm….), the reason that FBI agents touch their ears isn’t that dissimilar. Forrest Wickham, of www.slate.com, has the advice:

Are those earpieces uncomfortable? No, it’s just so they can hear better. Pushing in an earpiece makes for a tighter seal, which could mean the difference between hearing or missing a Secret Service codename or another agent’s message about the president’s position while standing in a noisy room. While earpieces are not uncomfortable, they do sometimes come loose, requiring readjustment.

There you have it, a rather embarrassingly lo-tech answer, FBI guys push their earpieces into their ears as that makes the directions come through louder and clearer. Like an obsessive ‘Spinal Tap’ fan, I cannot help but echo the puzzled query of Marti DiBergi and ask “why not just make the earpieces louder?” but that is obviously a question for another time.

Back to, Mr. Wickham:

“Earpieces aren’t the only communication devices the Secret Service uses, and not all earpieces have the same design. Some devices, for example, look like iPod ear buds. The one-ear headphone often shown in the movies is standard and comes with a curly wire that runs down under their shirt to a hidden microphone worn in different locations depending on the circumstances of the assignment. One standard spot is just under the shirt sleeve. (That explains why agents are always lifting their wrists to their mouths.) Earpieces also come in different colors, and some agents choose a device that matches their skin or hair”.

So that they do not do it to appear sinister, or to receive instructions in the engine world that secretly runs all our existence. They are doing it as, well, their communications is a little bit crappy, evidently.

Then again, I presume that if you’re trying to hear very detailed, very important information in the busy and loud environment, then any earpiece you used would be sternly challenged. It’s hard to hear everything over the sound of large crowds as well.

Mr. Wickham also offers a bonus explanation. At the end of his article, Wickham tells us why the FBI guys always seem to be wearing sunglasses.

“Why are Secret Service agents always wearing sunglasses? To keep the sun out of their eyes. While the Service has often cultivated a certain mystique, preferring to remain “cloaked in silence and mystery,” spokesmen insist they wear shades merely for their traditional purpose, and not, say, to keep would-be assassins from knowing which way they’re looking. The Secret Service has no set uniform, but agents say that wearing sunglasses on a sunny day helps them to scan a crowd for suspicious behavior”.

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

The western black rhinoceros, a subspecies of African black rhinoceros, has officially been declared extinct by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) this month.

The announcement marked a sad day in history for anyone concerned with conservation or the wellbeing of our natural world.

Despite the news sending media shockwaves around the world, the first proclamation of extinction was actually given in 2011 by non-profit organization ‘Save The Rhino’, however, this was not considered official, so some conservationists still held on to hope. Sadly, as of 2006, the IUCN had stockpiled enough evidence to declare the western black rhino extinct, but the group usually waits for five years before making an official announcement, just in case a living specimen is spotted or discovered alive.

The last western black rhinos to live in the wild were confined to a small area of Cameroon and were killed between 2003 and 2006 (reports vary as to the exact dates) at the hands of opportunistic poachers.

Poaching was undeniably the main cause of the species’ extinction and is a continuing threat to all remaining rhino species (there are only three subspecies of black rhinos left in the wild, all of which are considered to be endangered by the IUCN).

Rhinos are killed for many reasons, sometimes because their horns, when powdered, are used in Chinese medicine. Sometimes the animals are killed is because sport hunters enjoy shooting them and sometimes, farmers find them to be dangerous pests, so they shoot the rhinos on sight. In the Middle East, rhino horn is used to make ceremonial dagger handles. Even with populations dwindling, there is still a high demand for rhino horns.

Between 1960 and 1995, poachers, no doubt in search of a big payday, killed an estimated 98% of black rhinos in Africa. The western black rhino was the hardest hit of the four species, with numbers steadily dwindling as the poachers refused to stop killing these rare (and increasingly valuable) creatures.

To put the above into perspective, there were an estimated 50 black rhinos left in 1991, but by 1992, there were only 35. In 1997, it was announced that there were only 10 individuals left on the continent

Just 100 years ago, however, approximately a million black rhinos, members of four distinct subspecies, lived on the Savannas of Africa, today, there are only a couple of thousand and now, only three remaining subspecies.

In addition, the Vietnamese Javan rhino subspecies was declared extinct in 2011 and the main Javan species is now considered to comprise of only 50 remaining individuals, the majority of which are at serious risk from poachers.

At the time of writing, there are only seven northern white rhinos (which is possibly a distinct species of rhinoceros, rather than a subspecies) left alive in the world. As a result, there is not a large enough population to ensure species survival. The northern white rhino will almost certainly join its western black cousin on the extinction list fairly soon.